There are about 40 species of flying fish, all of which tend to be cigar-shaped with long, wide pectoral fins on either side of their bodies. Broadly speaking, there are two categories of flying fish: “two-wingers,” whose two large pectoral fins comprise most of the flying “lift” surface; and “four-wingers,” which also have two enlarged pelvic fins in addition to the two long pectoral fins.

All flying fish have an asymmetrical, vertically forked tail (a shape known as hypocercal), with vertebrae extending into the longer, bottom lobe of the fork, making it look sort of like a boat’s rudder.

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